THE KOEL AND ITS ALLIES 309 



silent when it finds a perch, and cons- 

 tantly calls only when flying. Its flight, 

 on account of its long crest, beautiful 

 pied coloration, and its long tail, is very 

 graceful. Its cry is a whistling sort of 



trisyllabic pee-pee-pee which, being deli- 

 vered from a pretty great height when 

 the bird flies through space, hears quite 

 melodious. 



All these birds, except the Koel, are 

 regarded as economically very beneficial ; 

 they need all the protection we can give 

 them. The cuckoos of the Cuculinm 

 group are the only birds that habitually 

 eat hairy caterpillars which, being mostly 

 defoliators, are very injurious to crops. 

 The Hawk-cuckoo is undoubtedly benefi- 

 cial. Only a few, if at all, beneficial in- 

 sects are taken by this bird, its food 

 consisting almost entirely of injurious 

 insects or those allied to them. The 

 fruits that are eaten are mostly fici. By 

 the examination of the stomach of seven- 

 teen specimens, it was found that, of 300 



